US20040056122A1 - Flexible shower arm assembly - Google Patents
Flexible shower arm assembly Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20040056122A1 US20040056122A1 US10/658,032 US65803203A US2004056122A1 US 20040056122 A1 US20040056122 A1 US 20040056122A1 US 65803203 A US65803203 A US 65803203A US 2004056122 A1 US2004056122 A1 US 2004056122A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- shower
- bead
- flexible
- arm assembly
- beads
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
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Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
- E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
- E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
- E03C1/02—Plumbing installations for fresh water
- E03C1/021—Devices for positioning or connecting of water supply lines
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
- B05B15/00—Details of spraying plant or spraying apparatus not otherwise provided for; Accessories
- B05B15/60—Arrangements for mounting, supporting or holding spraying apparatus
- B05B15/65—Mounting arrangements for fluid connection of the spraying apparatus or its outlets to flow conduits
- B05B15/652—Mounting arrangements for fluid connection of the spraying apparatus or its outlets to flow conduits whereby the jet can be oriented
- B05B15/654—Mounting arrangements for fluid connection of the spraying apparatus or its outlets to flow conduits whereby the jet can be oriented using universal joints
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
- B05B15/00—Details of spraying plant or spraying apparatus not otherwise provided for; Accessories
- B05B15/60—Arrangements for mounting, supporting or holding spraying apparatus
- B05B15/65—Mounting arrangements for fluid connection of the spraying apparatus or its outlets to flow conduits
- B05B15/652—Mounting arrangements for fluid connection of the spraying apparatus or its outlets to flow conduits whereby the jet can be oriented
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
- E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
- E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
- E03C1/02—Plumbing installations for fresh water
- E03C1/025—Water supply lines as such, e.g. shower hoses
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
- E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
- E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
- E03C1/02—Plumbing installations for fresh water
- E03C1/04—Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths
- E03C1/0408—Water installations especially for showers
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
- E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
- E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
- E03C1/02—Plumbing installations for fresh water
- E03C1/06—Devices for suspending or supporting the supply pipe or supply hose of a shower-bath
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L11/00—Hoses, i.e. flexible pipes
- F16L11/14—Hoses, i.e. flexible pipes made of rigid material, e.g. metal or hard plastics
- F16L11/18—Articulated hoses, e.g. composed of a series of rings
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L15/00—Screw-threaded joints; Forms of screw-threads for such joints
- F16L15/08—Screw-threaded joints; Forms of screw-threads for such joints with supplementary elements
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L27/00—Adjustable joints, Joints allowing movement
- F16L27/02—Universal joints, i.e. with mechanical connection allowing angular movement or adjustment of the axes of the parts in any direction
- F16L27/04—Universal joints, i.e. with mechanical connection allowing angular movement or adjustment of the axes of the parts in any direction with partly spherical engaging surfaces
- F16L27/047—Universal joints, i.e. with mechanical connection allowing angular movement or adjustment of the axes of the parts in any direction with partly spherical engaging surfaces held in place by a screwed member having an internal spherical surface
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L27/00—Adjustable joints, Joints allowing movement
- F16L27/02—Universal joints, i.e. with mechanical connection allowing angular movement or adjustment of the axes of the parts in any direction
- F16L27/04—Universal joints, i.e. with mechanical connection allowing angular movement or adjustment of the axes of the parts in any direction with partly spherical engaging surfaces
- F16L27/06—Universal joints, i.e. with mechanical connection allowing angular movement or adjustment of the axes of the parts in any direction with partly spherical engaging surfaces with special sealing means between the engaging surfaces
- F16L27/073—Universal joints, i.e. with mechanical connection allowing angular movement or adjustment of the axes of the parts in any direction with partly spherical engaging surfaces with special sealing means between the engaging surfaces one of the cooperating surfaces forming the sealing means
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
- B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
- B05B1/14—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means with multiple outlet openings; with strainers in or outside the outlet opening
- B05B1/18—Roses; Shower heads
Definitions
- This invention relates to a flexible shower arm assembly, and more particularly to a shower arm assembly having a flexible shower arm to allow for flexible adjustment of the position of the shower head.
- Bathing in a shower has replaced bathing in a bathtub as the preferred method of bathing for several reasons, including convenience, comfort, and energy savings.
- a person stands in the shower and is sprayed with water through a shower head, which is attached to a shower pipe extending from the central plumbing.
- a shower head directly attached to the shower pipe is able to be pivoted about the attachment to the shower pipe to provide a certain degree of movement to control the direction of the shower spray.
- the movement of the shower head is limited to pivotal movement about the connection point to the shower pipe and cannot be translated in any direction.
- the hand-held shower head includes a flexible hose attached to the shower pipe and a shower head having a handle attached to the opposite end of the flexible hose.
- the hand-held shower head is typically mounted on a bracket attached to the shower pipe to allow the hand-held shower head to be used as a normal shower head, and can normally be pivoted about the attachment of the bracket to the shower pipe.
- the hand-held shower head can also be removed from the bracket and held in the desired position with one hand. This allows the user to move the shower head to any desired position, however it requires that the user utilize one hand to hold the shower head.
- shower pipe extensions which include one or more rigid links having one end pivotally attached to the shower pipe and the other end pivotally attached to the shower head, or to another rigid link.
- the links are typically elongated rigid hoses and allow for limited movement in the vertical and lateral directions. The movement is limited by the length of the rigid links and the direction of movement allowed by the pivotal joints between the links. This type of rigid link structure often leaks at the joints and can become loose and fail to hold the desired position.
- the present invention in general terms concerns a flexible shower arm assembly that allows the user to repeatably adjust the position of the shower head in three dimensions by configuring the shape of the shower arm attached between the water source, such as a shower pipe, and the water dispenser, such as a shower head.
- the particular position of the shower head, and the direction of the water spray, can be modified simply by re-configuring the shape of the shower arm.
- the flexible shower arm holds the desired position until modified by the user.
- the flexible shower arm is sealingly attached to the shower pipe by a pipe connector nut, and is sealingly and pivotally attached to the shower head by a connection structure.
- the flexible shower arm assembly includes an elongated flexible member defining fluid transfer path, the flexible member having a first end and an opposite second end.
- the flexible member is repeatably configurable to a fixed shape.
- the first end of the flexible member is connected in fluid communication with the shower pipe, and the second end of the flexible member is connected in fluid communication to a shower head.
- a sheath covers the flexible arm from the first end to the second end.
- the flexible shower arm assembly includes a plurality of interconnected beads forming a flexible arm, each bead rotatable with respect to adjacent beads.
- the plurality of interconnected beads form an axially extending bore, and have a first end bead at a first end of the arm and a second end bead at a second end of the arm.
- a shower pipe connector nut defining an internal bore extending therethrough, has a first end for fluid connection to the shower pipe, and a second end for fluid connection to the first end bead.
- a shower head defining a connection structure having an internal bore extending therethrough, is in fluid connection to the second end bead at the second end of the arm.
- the first end bead has an externally threaded end and a partially spherical opposing end.
- the partially spherical end connects to an adjacent bead.
- the first end of the connector nut is internally threaded, and the second end of the nut is internally threaded for threaded engagement to the shower pipe.
- the externally threaded end of the first end bead is threadedly received by the internally threaded first end of the nut.
- connection structure between the shower head and the second end of the flexible arm includes a retainer for rotatably receiving said second end bead, a collar for receiving the second end bead and the retainer, and a connector for positioning the second end bead and the retainer in the collar.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shower stall having a flexible shower arm assembly incorporating the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the flexible shower arm assembly incorporating the present invention.
- FIG. 3 is a section taken along line 3 - 3 of FIG. 2.
- FIG. 4 is an enlarged representative section of interlinked beads, including the second end bead.
- FIG. 5 is a representative section of the flexible shower arm of the present invention.
- FIG. 6 is a section taken along line 6 - 6 of FIG. 3.
- FIG. 7 is a section taken along line 7 - 7 of FIG. 3.
- FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial section similar to FIG. 7.
- FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial section of the wedge collar similar to FIG. 8.
- FIG. 10 is a partial exploded view of the first end of the flexible shower arm.
- FIG. 11 is a partial exploded view of the second end of the flexible shower arm.
- FIG. 12 is a representative section of the pipe nut utilized in the present invention.
- FIG. 13 is a section taken along line 13 - 13 of FIG. 6.
- FIGS. 1 - 3 A shower head assembly 30 encompassing the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 - 3 .
- the shower head assembly 30 is attached to a standard shower pipe 32 extending from the wall of a shower stall, as shown in FIG. 1.
- the shower head assembly 30 includes an elongated flexible shower arm 34 having first 36 and second 38 opposing ends, and defining a water conduit along its entire length.
- the first end 36 of the flexible shower arm 34 is attached to a shower pipe connector nut 40 .
- the shower pipe connector nut 40 is in turn attached to the standard shower pipe 32 extending from the wall of the shower stall.
- the second end 38 of the flexible shower arm 34 is adapted to receive a shower head 42 .
- a special connection structure 44 (see FIG. 3) is used between the second end 38 of the flexible shower arm 34 and the shower head 42 .
- the water flows through the conduit (a continuous internal cavity) formed along the entire length of the flexible shower arm (described in more detail below) to reach the shower head 42 , and then through the shower head.
- the flexible shower arm 34 can be configured by the user to take in any of a number of positions, which allows the user to position the shower head 42 and the direction of the shower spray as desired, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
- the flexible shower arm 34 is made of a plurality of interlinked ball and socket beads 46 interconnected together, with each of the beads being pivotable with respect to each of the adjacent beads due to the ball and socket structure.
- Each bead defines an internal cavity 48 extending therethrough, and when interconnected the internal cavity 48 is continuous and extends along the entire length of the flexible shower arm 34 .
- a flexible hose 50 is positioned through the continuous internal cavity 48 for carrying fluid through the flexible arm 34 from the shower pipe nut 40 to the shower head 42 .
- a sheath 52 encompasses the length of the flexible shower arm 34 and extends from the shower pipe connector nut 40 to the base of the shower head 42 . The sheath 52 protects the beads 46 from moisture, dirt and other contaminants which may affect the performance of the flexible shower arm 34 .
- the flexible shower arm 34 is made up a plurality of ball and socket beads 46 which are interconnected for rotational and pivotal movement between adjacent beads.
- the beads are preferably made of a thermoplastic material, such as Teflon impregnated acetal.
- Each bead 46 has a smaller end 54 and a larger end 56 , with a tapered neck 58 area defined between the two ends.
- the cavity 48 formed through the bead 46 defines an opening 60 at the smaller end 54 of the bead 46 and an opening at the larger end 56 of the bead.
- the external surface at the smaller end 54 of the bead 46 is substantially spherical in shape.
- the internal walls 62 of the cavity 48 formed at the larger end 56 of the bead 46 have a substantially spherical shape for rotatably and pivotally receiving the smaller end 54 of the adjacent bead 46 .
- the beads 46 are interconnected with one another by inserting the smaller end 54 of a first bead into the cavity 48 in the larger end 56 of the adjacent bead 46 and so on, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
- the engagement of the external walls of the smaller end 54 of one bead with the internal walls 62 of the larger end 56 of an adjacent bead 46 allows the plurality of beads to pivot and rotate with respect to adjacent beads to form a variety of shapes.
- the shape of the cavity 48 formed in the large end 56 of the bead 46 is appropriately sized to tightly receive the smaller end 54 of an adjacent bead such that the beads can rotate and pivot with respect to one another under the force of the user, however, the fit is sufficiently tight to create adequate friction to maintain the relative positions of the beads once the flexible shower arm 34 is shaped by the user.
- a suitable bead 46 for use in constructing the flexible shower arm 34 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,206, issued to Lockwood Products, Inc. It is contemplated, however, that any structure which allows for repeated flexible movement to a fixed final position, and that can accommodate the desired fluid transfer characteristics could be utilized for this purpose.
- a special first end bead 64 is utilized at the first end 36 of the plurality of beads 46 making up the flexible shower arm 34 to attach the flexible shower arm 34 to the shower pipe connector nut 40 , as shown in FIGS. 3, 6, and 10 .
- the first end connection bead 64 defines a main body 66 with one end 68 structured so as to attach to the adjacent bead 46 in the flexible shower arm 34 .
- the structure of the end 68 is a partially spherical concave outer surface 70 similar to the smaller end 54 of the typical bead 46 previously described above.
- a cavity 72 is formed through the first end connector bead 64 , and will be described further below.
- the other end 74 of the first end connector bead 64 has a substantially cylindrical outer surface portion 76 defining a rim 78 , an annular sloped sealing surface 80 adjacent to the rim 78 , an annular flange 82 or rim extending outwardly from the main body, and external threads 84 positioned between the sealing surface 80 and the flange 82 .
- Protrusions 86 or prongs extend radially from the annular rim 78 and form part of a locking mechanism 88 described in more detail below. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 13, prongs 86 extend outwardly from the annular rim 78 on the first end bead 64 and have a longer first side 90 with a shallow slope, and a shorter second side 92 with a steeper slope.
- the protrusions 86 are oriented on the rim 78 such that when the first end bead 64 is engaged with the shower pipe nut 40 , the protrusions engage corresponding ramps 94 formed on the inner surface of the shower pipe nut 40 when the first end bead 64 is completely seated in the shower pipe nut 40 to form a “ratchet” type of locking mechanism 88 which keeps the first end bead 64 from being extracted from the shower pipe nut 40 , such as by attempting to unscrew the first end bead 64 from the pipe nut 40 .
- the cavity 72 formed through the length of the first end bead 64 has a particular shape to facilitate the transfer of fluid therethrough.
- the recess 72 has a relatively large diameter and necks down through a sloped section 96 to a substantially cylindrical throat 98 through the center portion of the first end connector bead 64 .
- the cavity 72 then abruptly widens to a larger diameter, substantially cylindrical, cavity portion 100 formed through to the other end 74 of the connector bead 64 .
- An engagement surface 102 is formed at the transition from the diameter of the throat 98 to the larger diameter recess 100 , and is preferably a surface formed at 90° to the length of the first end connector bead 64 .
- the external surface of the first end connector bead 64 adjacent the throat 98 extending along the middle of its length, defines the minimum exterior dimension of the first end connector bead 64 .
- a pair of thin, relatively flexible fins 104 extend from opposite sides of the throat 98 portion of the first end connector bead 64 .
- the fins 104 help form a seal with the sheath 52 when the sheath 52 is inserted over the first end connector bead 64 and into the shower pipe nut 40 , as described below and shown in FIG. 6.
- the sheath 52 engages the free ends 108 of the seal fins 104 and bend the seal fins 104 towards the shower pipe nut 40 .
- the space between the tips 108 of the fins 104 and the shower pipe nut 40 is smaller than the thickness of the sheath 52 such that the sheath 52 engages the fins 104 as the sheath is inserted into the shower pipe nut 40 .
- the resiliency of the fins 104 creates a bias force against the sheath 52 to push the sheath 52 against the shower pipe nut 40 and thus create a fastened joint to help block the entry of dirt, particles or other contaminants.
- the bent fins also act as a cam surface to create an interference fit to resist the withdrawal of the sheath 52 from the shower pipe nut 40 .
- the hose 50 preferably made of nylon-reinforced PVC, is inserted through the cavity 48 formed along the length of the flexible arm 34 , and is attached to the first end connector bead 64 by a serrated grommet 110 , as best shown in FIG. 6.
- the serrated grommet 110 has a substantially cylindrical main body defining an axial bore 112 formed therethrough, and a radially extending annular flange 114 formed at one end thereof.
- the outer surface of the main body defines serrations 116 , preferably helical, to allow easy insertion of the grommet 110 into the inner diameter of the hose 50 , and to resist the extraction of the grommet 110 from the hose 50 .
- the serrations 116 have relatively sharp tips to engage the inner diameter of the hose 50 to grip the hose 50 and resist the extraction of the grommet 110 therefrom.
- the hose 50 is first inserted thorough the throat 98 of the first end connector bead 64 .
- the end of the hose 50 is substantially aligned with the end of the throat 98 at the transition between the throat 98 and the larger diameter cavity portion 100 .
- the grommet 110 is then inserted into the bore of the hose 50 such that the under-surface of the annular flange 114 formed on the grommet 110 engages the end of the hose 50 and the engagement surface 102 adjacent the throat 98 .
- the main body of the grommet 110 is sized such that when inserted into the hose 50 , the wall of the hose 50 is compressed against the wall of the throat 98 to form a water tight seal, such that water flows only through the hose 50 and not around the hose.
- the engagement of the annular flange 114 of the grommet 110 against the engagement surface 102 of the first end connector bead 64 also forms a seal to help prevent water from flowing through the bead 64 around the hose 50 .
- the first end bead 64 of the flexible shower arm 34 is connected to the shower pipe 32 by a shower pipe connector nut 40 , as best shown in FIGS. 3, 6 and 10 .
- the nut 40 has an elongated main body 118 and defines a multi-chambered continuous cavity 120 formed therethrough.
- the first portion 122 of the cavity 120 has smooth walls.
- the second portion 124 of the cavity 120 defines internal threads 126 and is of a slightly smaller diameter for receiving the external threads 128 in the shower pipe 32 to allow threaded connections of the nut 40 to the shower pipe 32 .
- the third chamber 130 is partially threaded.
- An annular seat 132 is formed between the second 124 and third 130 portions of the chamber 120 .
- An inwardly extending angled annular flange 134 is formed at one end of the third portion 130 of the cavity 120 and reduces the diameter of the cavity 120 significantly to control water flow in conjunction with the water flow restrictor 150 .
- An annular recess 136 is formed about the base of the angled annular flange 134 for receiving the rim of the first end bead 64 upon insertion, as described further below.
- An annular seal seat 138 is next formed in the cavity 120 beyond which an internally threaded region 140 is defined and terminates in the final chamber 142 having a larger diameter and defining an annular seating surface 144 oriented at 90° to the length of the pipe nut 40 .
- a plurality of ramps 94 are spaced circumferentially on the interior wall of the final chamber 142 , adjacent to the seating surface 144 . These ramps 94 work in conjunction with the protrusions 86 formed on the annular flange 82 of the first end bead 64 to form the thread-locking mechanism 88 .
- the end 74 of the first end bead 64 is threadedly received in the pipe nut 40 until the sealing surface 80 on the first end bead 64 engages an O-ring seal 146 and compresses it against the annular seal seat 138 formed in the pipe nut 40 .
- the radially extending external flange 82 of the first end bead 64 simultaneously engages the flattened engagement surface 144 formed in the pipe nut 40 to solidly position the first end bead 64 to the pipe nut 40 .
- the shape of the protrusions 86 on the external flange 82 on the first end bead 64 resist the counter-clockwise relative rotation of the first end bead 64 with respect to the pipe nut 40 to keep the first end bead 64 from accidentally being unscrewed from the pipe nut 40 .
- the interlocking protrusions 86 and ramps 94 form a locking mechanism 88 which basically allow the first end bead 64 to be threadedly received by the pipe nut 40 and resist the threaded extraction from the pipe nut 40 of the first end bead 64 .
- the O-ring 146 forms a seal between the first end bead 64 and the pipe nut 40 to keep water from flowing around the first end bead 64 and to only flow through the hose 50 extending through the flexible arm 34 .
- An end 106 of the sheath 52 is positioned outside of the first end bead 64 , engaging the seal fins 104 , and inside of the end of the pipe nut 40 to assist in fixing the end 106 of the sheath 52 to the pipe nut 40 and form a seal to keep water and dirt as well as other contaminants from reaching the interconnected beads 46 .
- a water filter member 148 and a flow restrictor 150 as shown in FIG. 6, are positioned in the pipe nut 40 .
- the filter 148 has a first portion 152 having external threading and a second portion 154 having filtering structure, such as screen or small perforations. Water flows through the filtering structure and into a cavity 156 formed in the filter 148 , and out the end of the first portion 152 .
- An annular seating flange 158 is formed between the two portions 152 , 154 and extends outwardly therefrom.
- the first portion 152 of the filter 148 is threadedly received by the threads in the third chamber 130 until the flange 158 engages the annular seat 132 when the filter 148 is in the proper position, also being engaged by the end of the shower pipe 32 , with an flat washer 159 positioned therebetween to form a seal.
- the flow restrictor 150 is held in the third portion 130 of the cavity 120 by the filter 148 , and receives the water after it has passed through the filter 148 .
- a specially designed second end bead 160 is positioned at the shower head end of the flexible arm 34 to facilitate the connection of the shower head 42 to the flexible arm 34 , as shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 11 .
- One end of the second end bead 160 has a shape structured to attach to the adjacent bead 46 in the flexible shower arm 34 .
- this shape is identical to the larger end 56 of the typical bead 46 used in forming the interlocking bead structure of the flexible arm 34 , and is the receiving, or female, end 162 of the second end bead 160 .
- the opposite 164 , or male end, of the second end bead 160 has a substantially spherical outer surface 166 .
- the cavity 168 formed through the entire second end bead 160 has a central throat portion 170 converting to a partially spherical portion 172 in the receiving end 162 of the second end bead 160 (for receiving the smaller end 54 of the typical bead 46 as defined above) and a portion adjacent 160 the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 having a diameter larger than the throat 170 , to form an engagement surface 174 for the grommet which is used in attaching the hose 50 to the second end bead 160 .
- a grommet 176 such as that described above with respect to the first end bead 64 is utilized to fix the end of the hose 50 to the second end bead 160 in an identical manner to that described with the first end bead 64 .
- a seal is thus formed between the hose 50 and side walls of the throat 170 by the insertion of the grommet 176 into the hose 50 when the hose 50 is positioned in the throat 170 .
- the outwardly extending flange 178 of the grommet 176 engages the engagement surface 174 formed by the transition of the throat 170 to the larger diameter portion of the cavity 168 .
- a finger collar, or retainer, 180 is used in conjunction with the internal shower head body 182 to attach the small end 164 of the second end bead 160 to the base cone 184 of the shower head 42 .
- the finger collar 180 has a substantially cylindrical main body 186 with fingers 188 extending longitudinally from around the main body 186 , and an annular seal rim 190 formed on the interior wall of the main body 186 of the finger collar 180 .
- the seal rim 190 is positioned adjacent to but below the base of the finger extensions 188 from the main body 186 of the finger collar 180 .
- An interference seal 192 is formed around the outer surface of the main body 186 of the finger collar 180 and is a rounded protrusion extending circumferentially around the main body 186 .
- the base cone 184 of the shower head 42 has a collar 194 defining a passageway 196 formed therethrough with one end 198 internal to the shower head 42 having internal threading 200 and the other end 202 external to the shower head 42 having an opening 203 reduced in size by an inwardly sloped, partially conical rim 204 defining an interior finger engagement surface 206 which is further described below.
- the internal shower head body 182 defines an externally threaded connector end 208 and an axial recess 210 formed adjacent the threaded end of the connector 208 .
- the axial recess 210 has a base wall 212 and smooth side walls 214 .
- the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 is inserted through the reduced-size external opening 203 in the base cone 184 .
- the finger collar 180 is then positioned over the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 such that the fingers 188 extend along substantially the entire length of the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 , and the seal rim 190 on the internal wall of the finger collar 180 continuously engages the outer surface 166 of the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 .
- the externally threaded connector 208 of the internal shower head body 182 is then threadedly received in the internally threaded end 200 of the collar 194 of the base cone 184 .
- the external annular protrusion 192 on the main body 186 of the finger collar 180 engages the smooth sidewall 214 of the axial cavity 210 formed in the end of the connector 208 on the internal shower head body 182 to form a watertight seal between the finger collar 180 and the internal shower head body 182 .
- the end of the finger collar 180 engages the base wall 212 of the cavity 210 in the shower head body 182 , and as the connector 208 is threaded into the base cone 184 , the base wall 212 of the cavity 210 pushes the finger collar 180 towards the reduced-size aperture 203 in the collar 194 .
- the finger engagement surface 206 of the necked-down portion 204 of the external aperture 203 forces the finger extensions 188 on the finger collar 180 to wrap around the partially spherical outer surface 166 of the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 to rotatably grip the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 and keep the second end bead 160 from being extracted from the base cone 184 .
- the seal rim 190 forms a watertight seal between the finger collar 180 and the second end bead 160 .
- the thickness of the finger extensions 188 is sufficient to retain the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 in the base cone 184 .
- the internal annular seal rim 190 is also forced against the external surface 166 of the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 to form a watertight seal between the second end bead 160 and the finger collar 180 .
- the necked-down engagement surfaces 206 are partially conically shaped to functionally wrap the finger extensions 188 of the finger collar 180 around the partially spherical surface 166 of the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 , which creates a frictional gripping force on the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 as well as an interference fit to keep the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 from being extracted from the base cone 184 .
- the base cone 184 can thus rotate about the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 while maintaining the seal between the second end bead 160 and the finger collar 180 because the seal rim 190 maintains contact with the external surface 166 of the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 as the shower head 42 is rotated about the male end 164 .
- the rotation of the shower head 42 is more than likely to reside in the rotation of the second end bead 160 with the next adjacent bead 46 , however some pivoting is allowed between the shower head 42 and the second end bead 160 .
- a continuous fluid flow path is thus formed through the second end bead 160 , through the finger collar 180 , and into the internal shower head body 182 for dispensing through the shower head 42 , with adequate seals to keep the water from leaking out from around each of the interconnected parts.
- the shower head base cone 184 defines an annular recess 216 extending circumferentially around, but spaced away from the collar 194 .
- the annular recess 216 receives the end 218 of the sheath 52 to give the final product a finished look and to seal the end 218 of the sheath 52 to the base cone 184 to prevent passage of water, dirt and other contaminants to the interconnected beads.
- a wedge collar 220 is used to assist in retaining the sheath end 218 in the recess 216 , and to improve the seal characteristics, as shown in FIG. 8.
- the wedge collar 220 is substantially cylindrical in shape, has thin sidewalls, and defines a wedge ring 222 on the exterior surface at a first end thereof.
- a sharp annular rim 224 FIG. 9, is formed on the interior surface of the wedge collar 220 adjacent the second end.
- the wedge collar 220 is first placed over the end 218 of the sheath 52 such that the second end of the wedge collar 220 is substantially aligned with the end 218 of the sheath 52 . It is important that the sharp rim 224 engages the sheath 52 . The wedge collar 220 and sheath 52 are then pushed into the annular recess 216 , which is dimensioned to tightly receive the wedge collar 220 and sheath 52 , thus pressing the sharp rim 224 into the sheath 52 securely fixing them together.
- the wedge collar 220 and sheath 52 are inserted into the recess 216 until the wedge ring 222 engages the end of the base cone 184 , and resiliently biases the portion of the base cone 184 outwardly to develop an even tighter engagement of the sheath 52 and wedge collar 220 to the base cone 184 , forming an adequate seal.
- a U-shaped spring clip can be attached over the end 218 of the sheath 52 to assist in retaining the end in the recess 216 .
- the clip has barbs extending inwardly and outwardly. The inwardly extending clips grip the sheath, while the outwardly extending clips engage the walls of the recess 216 . The barbs are directional to inhibit the extraction of the end 218 from the recess 216 .
- two or three clips are positioned on the end of the sheath to provide an adequate retaining force.
- the sheath 52 surrounding the entire length of the flexible arm 34 is substantially cylindrical in shape and defines an internal cavity 226 along the entire length of the sheath 52 .
- Helical ribs 228 are formed on the outer surface of the sheath 52 to provide structural support to the sheath 52 and also to assist the sheath 52 in bending smoothly in conjunction with the movement of the flexible arm 34 .
- the end 106 of the sheath 52 adjacent to the first end bead 64 is inserted into the shower pipe nut 40 to form a fastened joint.
- the end 218 of the sheath 52 adjacent to the shower head 42 is inserted into the shower head base 184 also to form a fastened joint.
- the sheath 52 With the sheath 52 being attached at either end, it is difficult for water, moisture, dirt or other contaminants to reach the interlocking. beads 46 . It has been found that water, moisture, dirt or other contaminants cause the interlocking beads to degrade in performance by causing the interlocking beads to become noisy or move less smoothly with respect to one another.
- the outer sheath 52 is also easier to clean than the individual beads 46 , and is thus more convenient.
- the sheath 52 is preferably made of chemically resistant thermoplastic material, such as polyethylene.
- the shower pipe connector nut 40 is threadedly received in the shower pipe 32 to form a seal and cause the water to flow through the flexible shower arm 34 to the shower head 42 .
- the water flows through the shower pipe connector nut 40 , through the first end bead 64 attached to the shower pipe connector nut 40 and into the hose 50 which is positioned through the center of the interlocking beads 46 .
- the water exits the hose and passes through the second end bead 160 adjacent to the shower head 42 , and finally through the shower head 42 to be dispensed to the user.
- the first end bead 64 attached to the shower pipe connector nut 40 provides for a watertight seal between the first end bead 64 and the connector nut 40 , and a watertight seal between the hose 50 and the first end bead 64 so that the water exiting the shower pipe 32 flows only through the hose 50 to the shower head 42 , and thus eliminates leaking.
- the second end bead 160 is connected to the shower head 42 to allow the shower head 42 to pivot on the second end bead 160 as well as maintain the watertight seal between the second end bead 160 and the shower head 42 .
- the user To position the shower head 42 in the desired location, the user simply grasps the shower head 42 and moves it to bend the flexible arm to the desired configuration to position the shower head 42 in one of many positions, including laterally, vertically, forward or backward, or virtually any combination thereof.
- the flexible shower arm 34 maintains its shape until modified by the user. The length of the flexible shower arm 34 is limited only by the weight of the shower head 42 , the structural strength of the connection to the shower pipe 32 , and the tightness with which the beads 46 fit together to form the flexible shower arm.
Abstract
Description
- This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/615,299, filed Jul. 13, 2000 and entitled “Flexible Shower Arm Assembly,” which in turn is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/241,345, filed Feb. 1, 1999 and entitled “Flexible Shower Arm Assembly,” now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,569, which in turn is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/781,863, filed Jan. 10, 1997 and entitled “Flexible Shower Arm Assembly,” now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,378, all of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
- 1. Field of Invention
- This invention relates to a flexible shower arm assembly, and more particularly to a shower arm assembly having a flexible shower arm to allow for flexible adjustment of the position of the shower head.
- 2. Background Art
- Bathing in a shower has replaced bathing in a bathtub as the preferred method of bathing for several reasons, including convenience, comfort, and energy savings. Typically, a person stands in the shower and is sprayed with water through a shower head, which is attached to a shower pipe extending from the central plumbing. A shower head directly attached to the shower pipe is able to be pivoted about the attachment to the shower pipe to provide a certain degree of movement to control the direction of the shower spray. The movement of the shower head is limited to pivotal movement about the connection point to the shower pipe and cannot be translated in any direction.
- An improvement to the adjustability of the standard shower head includes the development of the hand-held shower head. The hand-held shower head includes a flexible hose attached to the shower pipe and a shower head having a handle attached to the opposite end of the flexible hose. The hand-held shower head is typically mounted on a bracket attached to the shower pipe to allow the hand-held shower head to be used as a normal shower head, and can normally be pivoted about the attachment of the bracket to the shower pipe. However, the hand-held shower head can also be removed from the bracket and held in the desired position with one hand. This allows the user to move the shower head to any desired position, however it requires that the user utilize one hand to hold the shower head.
- Further development in shower head positioning includes shower pipe extensions, which include one or more rigid links having one end pivotally attached to the shower pipe and the other end pivotally attached to the shower head, or to another rigid link. The links are typically elongated rigid hoses and allow for limited movement in the vertical and lateral directions. The movement is limited by the length of the rigid links and the direction of movement allowed by the pivotal joints between the links. This type of rigid link structure often leaks at the joints and can become loose and fail to hold the desired position.
- There is missing in the art a shower head assembly which allows the variable positioning of the shower head in three dimensions while leaving the user with two free hands. It is to overcome the shortcomings in the prior art that the present invention was developed.
- The present invention in general terms concerns a flexible shower arm assembly that allows the user to repeatably adjust the position of the shower head in three dimensions by configuring the shape of the shower arm attached between the water source, such as a shower pipe, and the water dispenser, such as a shower head. The particular position of the shower head, and the direction of the water spray, can be modified simply by re-configuring the shape of the shower arm. The flexible shower arm holds the desired position until modified by the user. The flexible shower arm is sealingly attached to the shower pipe by a pipe connector nut, and is sealingly and pivotally attached to the shower head by a connection structure.
- More particularly, the flexible shower arm assembly includes an elongated flexible member defining fluid transfer path, the flexible member having a first end and an opposite second end. The flexible member is repeatably configurable to a fixed shape. The first end of the flexible member is connected in fluid communication with the shower pipe, and the second end of the flexible member is connected in fluid communication to a shower head. A sheath covers the flexible arm from the first end to the second end.
- Still more particularly, the flexible shower arm assembly includes a plurality of interconnected beads forming a flexible arm, each bead rotatable with respect to adjacent beads. The plurality of interconnected beads form an axially extending bore, and have a first end bead at a first end of the arm and a second end bead at a second end of the arm. A shower pipe connector nut, defining an internal bore extending therethrough, has a first end for fluid connection to the shower pipe, and a second end for fluid connection to the first end bead. A shower head, defining a connection structure having an internal bore extending therethrough, is in fluid connection to the second end bead at the second end of the arm.
- In one embodiment, the first end bead has an externally threaded end and a partially spherical opposing end. The partially spherical end connects to an adjacent bead. The first end of the connector nut is internally threaded, and the second end of the nut is internally threaded for threaded engagement to the shower pipe. The externally threaded end of the first end bead is threadedly received by the internally threaded first end of the nut.
- In another embodiment, the connection structure between the shower head and the second end of the flexible arm includes a retainer for rotatably receiving said second end bead, a collar for receiving the second end bead and the retainer, and a connector for positioning the second end bead and the retainer in the collar.
- Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a flexible shower arm that can be repeatably adjusted to a variety of positions to allow control of the direction of spray from a shower head.
- Other aspects, features and details of the present invention can be more completely understood by reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, in conjunction with the drawings, and from the appended claims.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shower stall having a flexible shower arm assembly incorporating the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the flexible shower arm assembly incorporating the present invention.
- FIG. 3 is a section taken along line3-3 of FIG. 2.
- FIG. 4 is an enlarged representative section of interlinked beads, including the second end bead.
- FIG. 5 is a representative section of the flexible shower arm of the present invention.
- FIG. 6 is a section taken along line6-6 of FIG. 3.
- FIG. 7 is a section taken along line7-7 of FIG. 3.
- FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial section similar to FIG. 7.
- FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial section of the wedge collar similar to FIG. 8.
- FIG. 10 is a partial exploded view of the first end of the flexible shower arm.
- FIG. 11 is a partial exploded view of the second end of the flexible shower arm.
- FIG. 12 is a representative section of the pipe nut utilized in the present invention.
- FIG. 13 is a section taken along line13-13 of FIG. 6.
- A
shower head assembly 30 encompassing the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-3. Theshower head assembly 30 is attached to astandard shower pipe 32 extending from the wall of a shower stall, as shown in FIG. 1. Theshower head assembly 30 includes an elongatedflexible shower arm 34 having first 36 and second 38 opposing ends, and defining a water conduit along its entire length. Thefirst end 36 of theflexible shower arm 34 is attached to a showerpipe connector nut 40. The showerpipe connector nut 40 is in turn attached to thestandard shower pipe 32 extending from the wall of the shower stall. Thesecond end 38 of theflexible shower arm 34 is adapted to receive ashower head 42. A special connection structure 44 (see FIG. 3) is used between thesecond end 38 of theflexible shower arm 34 and theshower head 42. - In use, water flows from the
shower pipe 32 through the showerpipe connector nut 40, and into theflexible shower arm 34. The water flows through the conduit (a continuous internal cavity) formed along the entire length of the flexible shower arm (described in more detail below) to reach theshower head 42, and then through the shower head. Theflexible shower arm 34 can be configured by the user to take in any of a number of positions, which allows the user to position theshower head 42 and the direction of the shower spray as desired, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. - Still generally, as shown in FIG. 3, the
flexible shower arm 34 is made of a plurality of interlinked ball andsocket beads 46 interconnected together, with each of the beads being pivotable with respect to each of the adjacent beads due to the ball and socket structure. Each bead defines aninternal cavity 48 extending therethrough, and when interconnected theinternal cavity 48 is continuous and extends along the entire length of theflexible shower arm 34. Aflexible hose 50 is positioned through the continuousinternal cavity 48 for carrying fluid through theflexible arm 34 from theshower pipe nut 40 to theshower head 42. Asheath 52 encompasses the length of theflexible shower arm 34 and extends from the showerpipe connector nut 40 to the base of theshower head 42. Thesheath 52 protects thebeads 46 from moisture, dirt and other contaminants which may affect the performance of theflexible shower arm 34. - In more detail, referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and5, the
flexible shower arm 34 is made up a plurality of ball andsocket beads 46 which are interconnected for rotational and pivotal movement between adjacent beads. The beads are preferably made of a thermoplastic material, such as Teflon impregnated acetal. Eachbead 46 has asmaller end 54 and alarger end 56, with atapered neck 58 area defined between the two ends. Thecavity 48 formed through thebead 46 defines anopening 60 at thesmaller end 54 of thebead 46 and an opening at thelarger end 56 of the bead. The external surface at thesmaller end 54 of thebead 46 is substantially spherical in shape. Theinternal walls 62 of thecavity 48 formed at thelarger end 56 of thebead 46 have a substantially spherical shape for rotatably and pivotally receiving thesmaller end 54 of theadjacent bead 46. Thebeads 46 are interconnected with one another by inserting thesmaller end 54 of a first bead into thecavity 48 in thelarger end 56 of theadjacent bead 46 and so on, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The engagement of the external walls of thesmaller end 54 of one bead with theinternal walls 62 of thelarger end 56 of anadjacent bead 46 allows the plurality of beads to pivot and rotate with respect to adjacent beads to form a variety of shapes. - The shape of the
cavity 48 formed in thelarge end 56 of thebead 46 is appropriately sized to tightly receive thesmaller end 54 of an adjacent bead such that the beads can rotate and pivot with respect to one another under the force of the user, however, the fit is sufficiently tight to create adequate friction to maintain the relative positions of the beads once theflexible shower arm 34 is shaped by the user. Asuitable bead 46 for use in constructing theflexible shower arm 34 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,206, issued to Lockwood Products, Inc. It is contemplated, however, that any structure which allows for repeated flexible movement to a fixed final position, and that can accommodate the desired fluid transfer characteristics could be utilized for this purpose. - A special
first end bead 64 is utilized at thefirst end 36 of the plurality ofbeads 46 making up theflexible shower arm 34 to attach theflexible shower arm 34 to the showerpipe connector nut 40, as shown in FIGS. 3, 6, and 10. The firstend connection bead 64 defines amain body 66 with oneend 68 structured so as to attach to theadjacent bead 46 in theflexible shower arm 34. Preferably, the structure of theend 68 is a partially spherical concaveouter surface 70 similar to thesmaller end 54 of thetypical bead 46 previously described above. Acavity 72 is formed through the firstend connector bead 64, and will be described further below. Theother end 74 of the firstend connector bead 64 has a substantially cylindricalouter surface portion 76 defining arim 78, an annularsloped sealing surface 80 adjacent to therim 78, anannular flange 82 or rim extending outwardly from the main body, andexternal threads 84 positioned between the sealingsurface 80 and theflange 82. -
Protrusions 86 or prongs (see FIGS. 6, 10, and 13) extend radially from theannular rim 78 and form part of alocking mechanism 88 described in more detail below. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 13, prongs 86 extend outwardly from theannular rim 78 on thefirst end bead 64 and have a longerfirst side 90 with a shallow slope, and a shortersecond side 92 with a steeper slope. Theprotrusions 86 are oriented on therim 78 such that when thefirst end bead 64 is engaged with theshower pipe nut 40, the protrusions engage correspondingramps 94 formed on the inner surface of theshower pipe nut 40 when thefirst end bead 64 is completely seated in theshower pipe nut 40 to form a “ratchet” type oflocking mechanism 88 which keeps thefirst end bead 64 from being extracted from theshower pipe nut 40, such as by attempting to unscrew thefirst end bead 64 from thepipe nut 40. - The
cavity 72 formed through the length of thefirst end bead 64 has a particular shape to facilitate the transfer of fluid therethrough. At the ball end 68 of thefirst end bead 64, therecess 72 has a relatively large diameter and necks down through a slopedsection 96 to a substantiallycylindrical throat 98 through the center portion of the firstend connector bead 64. Thecavity 72 then abruptly widens to a larger diameter, substantially cylindrical,cavity portion 100 formed through to theother end 74 of theconnector bead 64. Anengagement surface 102 is formed at the transition from the diameter of thethroat 98 to thelarger diameter recess 100, and is preferably a surface formed at 90° to the length of the firstend connector bead 64. The external surface of the firstend connector bead 64, adjacent thethroat 98 extending along the middle of its length, defines the minimum exterior dimension of the firstend connector bead 64. - A pair of thin, relatively
flexible fins 104 extend from opposite sides of thethroat 98 portion of the firstend connector bead 64. Thefins 104 help form a seal with thesheath 52 when thesheath 52 is inserted over the firstend connector bead 64 and into theshower pipe nut 40, as described below and shown in FIG. 6. As theend 106 of thesheath 52 is inserted over the firstend connector bead 64 and into theshower pipe nut 40, thesheath 52 engages the free ends 108 of theseal fins 104 and bend theseal fins 104 towards theshower pipe nut 40. The space between thetips 108 of thefins 104 and theshower pipe nut 40 is smaller than the thickness of thesheath 52 such that thesheath 52 engages thefins 104 as the sheath is inserted into theshower pipe nut 40. The resiliency of thefins 104 creates a bias force against thesheath 52 to push thesheath 52 against theshower pipe nut 40 and thus create a fastened joint to help block the entry of dirt, particles or other contaminants. In addition, the bent fins also act as a cam surface to create an interference fit to resist the withdrawal of thesheath 52 from theshower pipe nut 40. - The
hose 50, preferably made of nylon-reinforced PVC, is inserted through thecavity 48 formed along the length of theflexible arm 34, and is attached to the firstend connector bead 64 by aserrated grommet 110, as best shown in FIG. 6. Theserrated grommet 110 has a substantially cylindrical main body defining anaxial bore 112 formed therethrough, and a radially extendingannular flange 114 formed at one end thereof. The outer surface of the main body definesserrations 116, preferably helical, to allow easy insertion of thegrommet 110 into the inner diameter of thehose 50, and to resist the extraction of thegrommet 110 from thehose 50. Theserrations 116 have relatively sharp tips to engage the inner diameter of thehose 50 to grip thehose 50 and resist the extraction of thegrommet 110 therefrom. - The
hose 50 is first inserted thorough thethroat 98 of the firstend connector bead 64. The end of thehose 50 is substantially aligned with the end of thethroat 98 at the transition between thethroat 98 and the largerdiameter cavity portion 100. Thegrommet 110 is then inserted into the bore of thehose 50 such that the under-surface of theannular flange 114 formed on thegrommet 110 engages the end of thehose 50 and theengagement surface 102 adjacent thethroat 98. The main body of thegrommet 110 is sized such that when inserted into thehose 50, the wall of thehose 50 is compressed against the wall of thethroat 98 to form a water tight seal, such that water flows only through thehose 50 and not around the hose. The engagement of theannular flange 114 of thegrommet 110 against theengagement surface 102 of the firstend connector bead 64 also forms a seal to help prevent water from flowing through thebead 64 around thehose 50. - The
first end bead 64 of theflexible shower arm 34 is connected to theshower pipe 32 by a showerpipe connector nut 40, as best shown in FIGS. 3, 6 and 10. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, thenut 40 has an elongatedmain body 118 and defines a multi-chamberedcontinuous cavity 120 formed therethrough. Thefirst portion 122 of thecavity 120 has smooth walls. Thesecond portion 124 of thecavity 120 definesinternal threads 126 and is of a slightly smaller diameter for receiving theexternal threads 128 in theshower pipe 32 to allow threaded connections of thenut 40 to theshower pipe 32. Thethird chamber 130 is partially threaded. Anannular seat 132 is formed between the second 124 and third 130 portions of thechamber 120. - An inwardly extending angled
annular flange 134 is formed at one end of thethird portion 130 of thecavity 120 and reduces the diameter of thecavity 120 significantly to control water flow in conjunction with thewater flow restrictor 150. Anannular recess 136 is formed about the base of the angledannular flange 134 for receiving the rim of thefirst end bead 64 upon insertion, as described further below. Anannular seal seat 138 is next formed in thecavity 120 beyond which an internally threadedregion 140 is defined and terminates in thefinal chamber 142 having a larger diameter and defining anannular seating surface 144 oriented at 90° to the length of thepipe nut 40. A plurality oframps 94 are spaced circumferentially on the interior wall of thefinal chamber 142, adjacent to theseating surface 144. Theseramps 94 work in conjunction with theprotrusions 86 formed on theannular flange 82 of thefirst end bead 64 to form the thread-lockingmechanism 88. - The
end 74 of thefirst end bead 64 is threadedly received in thepipe nut 40 until the sealingsurface 80 on thefirst end bead 64 engages an O-ring seal 146 and compresses it against theannular seal seat 138 formed in thepipe nut 40. The radially extendingexternal flange 82 of thefirst end bead 64 simultaneously engages the flattenedengagement surface 144 formed in thepipe nut 40 to solidly position thefirst end bead 64 to thepipe nut 40. The plurality oframps 94 formed on the interior surface of thepipe nut 40 adjacent to the flattenedengagement surface 144 engage theprotrusions 86 formed on the radial extendingexternal flange 82 of thefirst end nut 64 and allow thefirst end nut 64 to be threaded into thepipe nut 40 with a right-handed thread motion. The shape of theprotrusions 86 on theexternal flange 82 on thefirst end bead 64 resist the counter-clockwise relative rotation of thefirst end bead 64 with respect to thepipe nut 40 to keep thefirst end bead 64 from accidentally being unscrewed from thepipe nut 40. The interlockingprotrusions 86 and ramps 94, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, form alocking mechanism 88 which basically allow thefirst end bead 64 to be threadedly received by thepipe nut 40 and resist the threaded extraction from thepipe nut 40 of thefirst end bead 64. - The O-
ring 146 forms a seal between thefirst end bead 64 and thepipe nut 40 to keep water from flowing around thefirst end bead 64 and to only flow through thehose 50 extending through theflexible arm 34. Anend 106 of thesheath 52 is positioned outside of thefirst end bead 64, engaging theseal fins 104, and inside of the end of thepipe nut 40 to assist in fixing theend 106 of thesheath 52 to thepipe nut 40 and form a seal to keep water and dirt as well as other contaminants from reaching theinterconnected beads 46. - A
water filter member 148 and aflow restrictor 150 as shown in FIG. 6, are positioned in thepipe nut 40. Thefilter 148 has afirst portion 152 having external threading and asecond portion 154 having filtering structure, such as screen or small perforations. Water flows through the filtering structure and into acavity 156 formed in thefilter 148, and out the end of thefirst portion 152. Anannular seating flange 158 is formed between the twoportions first portion 152 of thefilter 148 is threadedly received by the threads in thethird chamber 130 until theflange 158 engages theannular seat 132 when thefilter 148 is in the proper position, also being engaged by the end of theshower pipe 32, with anflat washer 159 positioned therebetween to form a seal. The flow restrictor 150 is held in thethird portion 130 of thecavity 120 by thefilter 148, and receives the water after it has passed through thefilter 148. - A specially designed
second end bead 160 is positioned at the shower head end of theflexible arm 34 to facilitate the connection of theshower head 42 to theflexible arm 34, as shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 11. One end of thesecond end bead 160 has a shape structured to attach to theadjacent bead 46 in theflexible shower arm 34. Preferably, this shape is identical to thelarger end 56 of thetypical bead 46 used in forming the interlocking bead structure of theflexible arm 34, and is the receiving, or female, end 162 of thesecond end bead 160. The opposite 164, or male end, of thesecond end bead 160 has a substantially sphericalouter surface 166. Thecavity 168 formed through the entiresecond end bead 160 has acentral throat portion 170 converting to a partiallyspherical portion 172 in the receivingend 162 of the second end bead 160 (for receiving thesmaller end 54 of thetypical bead 46 as defined above) and a portion adjacent 160 themale end 164 of thesecond end bead 160 having a diameter larger than thethroat 170, to form anengagement surface 174 for the grommet which is used in attaching thehose 50 to thesecond end bead 160. Agrommet 176 such as that described above with respect to thefirst end bead 64 is utilized to fix the end of thehose 50 to thesecond end bead 160 in an identical manner to that described with thefirst end bead 64. A seal is thus formed between thehose 50 and side walls of thethroat 170 by the insertion of thegrommet 176 into thehose 50 when thehose 50 is positioned in thethroat 170. The outwardly extendingflange 178 of thegrommet 176 engages theengagement surface 174 formed by the transition of thethroat 170 to the larger diameter portion of thecavity 168. - A finger collar, or retainer,180 is used in conjunction with the internal
shower head body 182 to attach thesmall end 164 of thesecond end bead 160 to thebase cone 184 of theshower head 42. Thefinger collar 180 has a substantially cylindricalmain body 186 withfingers 188 extending longitudinally from around themain body 186, and anannular seal rim 190 formed on the interior wall of themain body 186 of thefinger collar 180. Theseal rim 190 is positioned adjacent to but below the base of thefinger extensions 188 from themain body 186 of thefinger collar 180. Aninterference seal 192 is formed around the outer surface of themain body 186 of thefinger collar 180 and is a rounded protrusion extending circumferentially around themain body 186. - The
base cone 184 of theshower head 42 has acollar 194 defining apassageway 196 formed therethrough with oneend 198 internal to theshower head 42 havinginternal threading 200 and theother end 202 external to theshower head 42 having anopening 203 reduced in size by an inwardly sloped, partiallyconical rim 204 defining an interiorfinger engagement surface 206 which is further described below. - The internal
shower head body 182 defines an externally threadedconnector end 208 and anaxial recess 210 formed adjacent the threaded end of theconnector 208. Theaxial recess 210 has abase wall 212 andsmooth side walls 214. - In connecting the
second end bead 160 to thebase cone 184 of theshower head 42, themale end 164 of thesecond end bead 160 is inserted through the reduced-sizeexternal opening 203 in thebase cone 184. Thefinger collar 180 is then positioned over themale end 164 of thesecond end bead 160 such that thefingers 188 extend along substantially the entire length of themale end 164 of thesecond end bead 160, and theseal rim 190 on the internal wall of thefinger collar 180 continuously engages theouter surface 166 of themale end 164 of thesecond end bead 160. The externally threadedconnector 208 of the internalshower head body 182 is then threadedly received in the internally threadedend 200 of thecollar 194 of thebase cone 184. The externalannular protrusion 192 on themain body 186 of thefinger collar 180 engages thesmooth sidewall 214 of theaxial cavity 210 formed in the end of theconnector 208 on the internalshower head body 182 to form a watertight seal between thefinger collar 180 and the internalshower head body 182. The end of thefinger collar 180 engages thebase wall 212 of thecavity 210 in theshower head body 182, and as theconnector 208 is threaded into thebase cone 184, thebase wall 212 of thecavity 210 pushes thefinger collar 180 towards the reduced-size aperture 203 in thecollar 194. Thefinger engagement surface 206 of the necked-downportion 204 of theexternal aperture 203 forces thefinger extensions 188 on thefinger collar 180 to wrap around the partially sphericalouter surface 166 of themale end 164 of thesecond end bead 160 to rotatably grip themale end 164 of thesecond end bead 160 and keep thesecond end bead 160 from being extracted from thebase cone 184. In addition, theseal rim 190 forms a watertight seal between thefinger collar 180 and thesecond end bead 160. The thickness of thefinger extensions 188 is sufficient to retain themale end 164 of thesecond end bead 160 in thebase cone 184. - The internal
annular seal rim 190 is also forced against theexternal surface 166 of themale end 164 of thesecond end bead 160 to form a watertight seal between thesecond end bead 160 and thefinger collar 180. - The necked-down engagement surfaces206 are partially conically shaped to functionally wrap the
finger extensions 188 of thefinger collar 180 around the partiallyspherical surface 166 of themale end 164 of thesecond end bead 160, which creates a frictional gripping force on themale end 164 of thesecond end bead 160 as well as an interference fit to keep themale end 164 of thesecond end bead 160 from being extracted from thebase cone 184. Thebase cone 184 can thus rotate about themale end 164 of thesecond end bead 160 while maintaining the seal between thesecond end bead 160 and thefinger collar 180 because theseal rim 190 maintains contact with theexternal surface 166 of themale end 164 of thesecond end bead 160 as theshower head 42 is rotated about themale end 164. Functionally, the rotation of theshower head 42 is more than likely to reside in the rotation of thesecond end bead 160 with the nextadjacent bead 46, however some pivoting is allowed between theshower head 42 and thesecond end bead 160. A continuous fluid flow path is thus formed through thesecond end bead 160, through thefinger collar 180, and into the internalshower head body 182 for dispensing through theshower head 42, with adequate seals to keep the water from leaking out from around each of the interconnected parts. - The shower
head base cone 184 defines anannular recess 216 extending circumferentially around, but spaced away from thecollar 194. Theannular recess 216 receives theend 218 of thesheath 52 to give the final product a finished look and to seal theend 218 of thesheath 52 to thebase cone 184 to prevent passage of water, dirt and other contaminants to the interconnected beads. Awedge collar 220 is used to assist in retaining thesheath end 218 in therecess 216, and to improve the seal characteristics, as shown in FIG. 8. Thewedge collar 220 is substantially cylindrical in shape, has thin sidewalls, and defines awedge ring 222 on the exterior surface at a first end thereof. A sharpannular rim 224, FIG. 9, is formed on the interior surface of thewedge collar 220 adjacent the second end. - In using the
wedge collar 220 as an anchor, thewedge collar 220 is first placed over theend 218 of thesheath 52 such that the second end of thewedge collar 220 is substantially aligned with theend 218 of thesheath 52. It is important that thesharp rim 224 engages thesheath 52. Thewedge collar 220 andsheath 52 are then pushed into theannular recess 216, which is dimensioned to tightly receive thewedge collar 220 andsheath 52, thus pressing thesharp rim 224 into thesheath 52 securely fixing them together. Thewedge collar 220 andsheath 52 are inserted into therecess 216 until thewedge ring 222 engages the end of thebase cone 184, and resiliently biases the portion of thebase cone 184 outwardly to develop an even tighter engagement of thesheath 52 andwedge collar 220 to thebase cone 184, forming an adequate seal. - Alternatively, a U-shaped spring clip can be attached over the
end 218 of thesheath 52 to assist in retaining the end in therecess 216. The clip has barbs extending inwardly and outwardly. The inwardly extending clips grip the sheath, while the outwardly extending clips engage the walls of therecess 216. The barbs are directional to inhibit the extraction of theend 218 from therecess 216. Typically, two or three clips are positioned on the end of the sheath to provide an adequate retaining force. - The
sheath 52 surrounding the entire length of theflexible arm 34, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, is substantially cylindrical in shape and defines aninternal cavity 226 along the entire length of thesheath 52.Helical ribs 228 are formed on the outer surface of thesheath 52 to provide structural support to thesheath 52 and also to assist thesheath 52 in bending smoothly in conjunction with the movement of theflexible arm 34. Theend 106 of thesheath 52 adjacent to thefirst end bead 64 is inserted into theshower pipe nut 40 to form a fastened joint. Theend 218 of thesheath 52 adjacent to theshower head 42 is inserted into theshower head base 184 also to form a fastened joint. With thesheath 52 being attached at either end, it is difficult for water, moisture, dirt or other contaminants to reach the interlocking.beads 46. It has been found that water, moisture, dirt or other contaminants cause the interlocking beads to degrade in performance by causing the interlocking beads to become noisy or move less smoothly with respect to one another. Theouter sheath 52 is also easier to clean than theindividual beads 46, and is thus more convenient. Thesheath 52 is preferably made of chemically resistant thermoplastic material, such as polyethylene. Theribs 228 formed on the outer surface of thesheath 52 to create a corrugated outer surface. The bead is in a helix pattern, and provides structural strength to the sheath. The webbing between the beads compresses (folds), or extends, depending on the way the flexible arm is bent. - In operation, the shower
pipe connector nut 40 is threadedly received in theshower pipe 32 to form a seal and cause the water to flow through theflexible shower arm 34 to theshower head 42. The water flows through the showerpipe connector nut 40, through thefirst end bead 64 attached to the showerpipe connector nut 40 and into thehose 50 which is positioned through the center of the interlockingbeads 46. The water exits the hose and passes through thesecond end bead 160 adjacent to theshower head 42, and finally through theshower head 42 to be dispensed to the user. - The
first end bead 64 attached to the showerpipe connector nut 40 provides for a watertight seal between thefirst end bead 64 and theconnector nut 40, and a watertight seal between thehose 50 and thefirst end bead 64 so that the water exiting theshower pipe 32 flows only through thehose 50 to theshower head 42, and thus eliminates leaking. Thesecond end bead 160 is connected to theshower head 42 to allow theshower head 42 to pivot on thesecond end bead 160 as well as maintain the watertight seal between thesecond end bead 160 and theshower head 42. - To position the
shower head 42 in the desired location, the user simply grasps theshower head 42 and moves it to bend the flexible arm to the desired configuration to position theshower head 42 in one of many positions, including laterally, vertically, forward or backward, or virtually any combination thereof. Once positioned, theflexible shower arm 34 maintains its shape until modified by the user. The length of theflexible shower arm 34 is limited only by the weight of theshower head 42, the structural strength of the connection to theshower pipe 32, and the tightness with which thebeads 46 fit together to form the flexible shower arm. - Presently preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described with a degree of particularity. This description has been made by way of preferred example. It should be understood, however, that the scope of the present invention is defined by the following claims, not necessarily by the detailed description of the preferred embodiment.
Claims (20)
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US10/658,032 US7066411B2 (en) | 1997-01-10 | 2003-09-09 | Flexible shower arm assembly |
US11/426,531 US20060231648A1 (en) | 1997-01-10 | 2006-06-26 | Flexible shower arm assembly |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US08/781,863 US5865378A (en) | 1997-01-10 | 1997-01-10 | Flexible shower arm assembly |
US09/241,345 US6164569A (en) | 1997-01-10 | 1999-02-01 | Flexible shower arm assembly |
US09/615,299 US6629651B1 (en) | 1997-01-10 | 2000-07-13 | Flexible shower arm assembly |
US10/658,032 US7066411B2 (en) | 1997-01-10 | 2003-09-09 | Flexible shower arm assembly |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/615,299 Continuation US6629651B1 (en) | 1997-01-10 | 2000-07-13 | Flexible shower arm assembly |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/426,531 Continuation US20060231648A1 (en) | 1997-01-10 | 2006-06-26 | Flexible shower arm assembly |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20040056122A1 true US20040056122A1 (en) | 2004-03-25 |
US7066411B2 US7066411B2 (en) | 2006-06-27 |
Family
ID=25124199
Family Applications (5)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US08/781,863 Expired - Lifetime US5865378A (en) | 1997-01-10 | 1997-01-10 | Flexible shower arm assembly |
US09/241,345 Expired - Lifetime US6164569A (en) | 1997-01-10 | 1999-02-01 | Flexible shower arm assembly |
US09/615,299 Expired - Lifetime US6629651B1 (en) | 1997-01-10 | 2000-07-13 | Flexible shower arm assembly |
US10/658,032 Expired - Fee Related US7066411B2 (en) | 1997-01-10 | 2003-09-09 | Flexible shower arm assembly |
US11/426,531 Abandoned US20060231648A1 (en) | 1997-01-10 | 2006-06-26 | Flexible shower arm assembly |
Family Applications Before (3)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US08/781,863 Expired - Lifetime US5865378A (en) | 1997-01-10 | 1997-01-10 | Flexible shower arm assembly |
US09/241,345 Expired - Lifetime US6164569A (en) | 1997-01-10 | 1999-02-01 | Flexible shower arm assembly |
US09/615,299 Expired - Lifetime US6629651B1 (en) | 1997-01-10 | 2000-07-13 | Flexible shower arm assembly |
Family Applications After (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/426,531 Abandoned US20060231648A1 (en) | 1997-01-10 | 2006-06-26 | Flexible shower arm assembly |
Country Status (11)
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US (5) | US5865378A (en) |
EP (1) | EP0951363A4 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2001500417A (en) |
KR (1) | KR100389207B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN1158144C (en) |
AU (1) | AU726023B2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2277060C (en) |
DE (2) | DE19881918T1 (en) |
ES (2) | ES2138947T1 (en) |
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WO (1) | WO1998030336A1 (en) |
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US8024822B2 (en) | 2004-06-14 | 2011-09-27 | Water Pik, Inc. | Articulating shower arm |
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US9616452B2 (en) | 2011-03-01 | 2017-04-11 | Takayasu Okubo | Shower apparatus |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
KR20000070031A (en) | 2000-11-25 |
KR100389207B1 (en) | 2003-06-27 |
US6629651B1 (en) | 2003-10-07 |
IL130833A0 (en) | 2001-01-28 |
DE19881918T1 (en) | 2000-02-24 |
ES2183670A1 (en) | 2003-03-16 |
US20060231648A1 (en) | 2006-10-19 |
AU5733698A (en) | 1998-08-03 |
ES2183670B1 (en) | 2004-06-16 |
EP0951363A1 (en) | 1999-10-27 |
DE951363T1 (en) | 2000-05-04 |
ES2138947T1 (en) | 2000-02-01 |
CN1158144C (en) | 2004-07-21 |
CA2277060A1 (en) | 1998-07-16 |
US7066411B2 (en) | 2006-06-27 |
CN1248183A (en) | 2000-03-22 |
IL130833A (en) | 2003-01-12 |
AU726023B2 (en) | 2000-10-26 |
JP2001500417A (en) | 2001-01-16 |
CA2277060C (en) | 2008-03-25 |
EP0951363A4 (en) | 2004-12-01 |
US6164569A (en) | 2000-12-26 |
US5865378A (en) | 1999-02-02 |
WO1998030336A1 (en) | 1998-07-16 |
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